It has begun

I will get back to the whole "Church Me" format, but it is not yet time. I first have to get done with this semester of school. It had me thinking this morning about Philippians 1:6 : "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ..." This is only the end of the first year of college for me. But it is only the beginning. The other things that are going on in our life: whether it's getting a car fixed up, going to the doctor about what will happen over the next eight months, or whether it's about what's going on in your life.
What is going on in your life? Did your husband or wife tell you it's over? Did the doctor? Did you get a good deal on a new car? Did you get a raw deal? Did you have to leave the church you were attending over doctrinal issues (I guess I can't let it go)? Do you find yourself hiding in your basement afraid of pig flu (sorry, Lord Obama - H1N1)?Each of these things are just the beginning. Hold on. Stay strong. Wait on the Lord. He has a plan for you.
We never see the whole picture now. It takes a lifetime in some cases to see where we got to from where we are going. Only eternity can sometimes show us how god was working. But keep on. He who began a good work WILL complete it.

Church me, part 1

A little background about me: I am the son of a preacher. I went to the same church until I was 27 years old. The last seven of those years, I was music director. We left because we lived out of town, and the drive was much too far. We're back in the same county, but it's a big county. My family needs closer neighbors and friends, a close church family. We joined a church last year in a transition period between Pastors, and the new Pastor's teaching was not to our liking. Therefore, we left.
We visited a church a couple of times, which shortly afterward asked their Pastor to leave. We are not doing the transition thing again. (Let this be a warning to all Pastors- if we visit your church, dust off your suitcases and polish your resume! KIDDING)
The long and short of it is this: there is no good way to look for a church! We get recommendations from friends, but you don't want to disappoint them and say you didn't like it. They might start thinking you think they're weird, or they'll think you're weird, etc. I tried our local Baptist association (I'm closer to the Baptists than anything, I guess) website. They have a directory of churches, but maybe a third of them have websites. It should be a prerequisite that a church now have a website!
Simply put, it's not a good situation to be churchless. I plan on devising a method of how to choose a church. I will work on the logistics, and post it another time. Meanwhile, if anyone out there has any suggestions for finding a church in Caldwell County, NC, with solid teaching, a nursery, and music for a worshipper and a traditionalist, please let me know!

From my MySpace blogs...#3

Originally Posted: Saturday, January 26, 2008

Dual loyalties, High Schools, and big bodies Current mood: calm Category: Religion and Philosophy Everybody has favorites in this world. We have favorite foods, sports teams, colleges, superheroes, etc. And not everyone will, or I say, can have the same favorite. For example, if your favorite food is cheeseburgers, my lactose intolerance makes it impossible for it to be mine. My siblings and I graduated from Hibriten High. My nephew is currently a freshman at Hibriten. On the flipside, I have two mieces that attend rival West Caldwell High. I try to support each in what they do, and I want their schools to do well. But unfortunately for my nieces, I have a point where I draw the line: Hibriten vs. West. Jesus told us that dual loyalties were not sustainable, starting at Matthew 6:24. To paraphrase, you will love one, and hate the other when their worlds collide. I would like to see West beat Hickory, or any other school in conference. But when they play Hibriten, hold on. My primary loyalty is to Hibriten, my alma mater. Hannah and Katy understand this, I'm sure. If something is in the way of a Christian's full service to Christ, it must give place. But it will not do it willfully. We must lay aside every weight (Hebrews 12:1). If TV watching blocks your spiritual life, turn it off. If your non-Christian friends try to steer you away from doing right, you must make them take a back seat. On spiritual, and on personal levels, if your life is hindered by obstacles, you must put them down. It is not easy, by any means. You need help. Help from God primarily, and from your peers. Ask them to pray with you, support you, and keep you accountable. I, for example, have a problem with food. The body is the temple of God, and mine is currently a megachurch. I would like to lose 50 pounds, and I can not do it alone. I will need help first from the Lord, asking Him to help me be strong. Then I will need help from each of you that read this. Help me to make wise food decisions, and don't offer me seconds! Seriously, pray for me. And pray that I will have inspiration to do more blogging. I feel like I'm slack. See you soon!

From my MySpace blogs...#2

Originally Posted: Sunday, April 20, 2008

Seeing things Current mood: contemplative Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." - Proverbs 29:18 I guess you could call me a dreamer. But don't worry, I'm not going to break into song. I'm just reflecting here on a Sunday night, thinking about all the things God has been showing to me. No, I wouldn't call them visions, and no, they haven't all been about things in the Word. They were different things about my life. My life can not be at a standstill. But Jonathan, what about the verse in Philippians that tells you to be content? You know, my son Levi can spot a brand name from a mile away, and tells us what make a car is simply by looking at it. But you know, if we do not let him learn any more, this young genius will be wasted! It's the same way with Levi's dad-no, I'm not saying I'm a genius. But if I do not experience any growth, I will deteriorate. Pastor Scott said at Wednesday night service two weeks ago that backsliding is standing still, and not growing. I find that quite true. That's why I spent part of tonight attempting to fill out a college application. My break has to end at 13 years. On top of that- and I haven't even told Sheyna much about this- I keep getting ideas, different aspects, about starting a Christian retail store of my own. Folks, I don't know much about what's going on, but I know this: I want to be able, willing, and ready for ANYTHING God has in store. My prayer to Him is that I receive all that He is showing me, and my request for all of you is that you remember me.

From my MySpace blogs...

Originally posted: Friday, July 04, 2008

Nothing to hold on to Category: Religion and Philosophy I'm a pretty quiet person. Most of my time on the phone is spent saying "Yes dear. I'm coming home soon." (I'M JOKING, SHEYNA.) But it's true that I depend on Sheyna to keep me up to date with what's going on with many of our friends and acquaintances. When she told me about one couple, who it seems God is calling to move a couple of hours away to do His work, I felt led to give them a word from Luke 9: 61: And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62: And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. That was not just for the man Jesus was talking to, and that wasn't for my friend. That's for each of us. In a wonderful message at our church this Wednesday, Pastor Scott reminded us that all this is temporary. To try to hold on to each and every thing like it has been is pointless. It all will pass away. Two years ago today, my grandfather passed. It was sad for our (large) family. The patriarch was gone, and several did not want it to happen. But to want our old life, to want to keep our family around like it is, to want nothing to be different, is utterly SELFISH. My Grandpa Levi needed to be free from pain and suffering. To wish to keep him here is natural, and I fault none of my family. But to think of the Glory he is experiencing, oh my. This is only temporary. The Marines have a saying: "Pain is temporary. Glory is forever." oorah. To cross over to the dork side for a second, look at Anakin Skywalker. His need to be in control, to keep his fears and dreams from becoming reality pushed him over the edge. He became Darth Vader, and his fear of losing his wife and all he held dear was so great, he ended up being responsible for her death. It also cost him his appendages, but he did get a cool breathing noise out of it. Your nice new house? It will get old. Spiders and earwigs will get in. Your new cell phone? You'll need a new one in two years. Your car? You'll need to buy gas. Your full tank? You'll need another in a few days. Things MUST change. This is all temporary, all but your life. It will end here one day, and begin anew somewhere else, either in a place of unending glory or one of unending death. We cherish our time and our memories, but God calls us to go forward. There is nothing to hold on to, except the straps of the plow. So get behind ol' Charlie, and for the cause of Jesus, plow ahead!